Hurricane Sandy ravaged the East Coast, flooding entire towns. More than 8.5 million homes lost power from Maine to Maryland, but nowhere was the loss of light more profoundly apparent than Manhattan where the lower half of the island went completely dark after an electrical transformer blew on 14th Street. No street lights, no neon signs in store windows, no neighborhood canteens aglow, no apartment lighting to guide you in the stairwell of your building. Just pitch black past 6pm.

Hotels uptown were overbooked and apartments swelled with downtown house guests. Those stuck below 34th street were forced to take stock of what candles and matches they had laying around the apartment. No one imagined that the power would not be restored for 6 days, leaving most candles withered and gone by day one.

Our Amazing Flameless Candles were not specifically designed for emergency, but they proved invaluable in Sandy’s aftermath. The LED light technology in our candles lasts upwards of 10 years or 100,000 hours. And, of course, the candles are safer because there is no flame, posing no additional hazards to already perilous conditions.

With climate change, natural disasters, and fraught power grids at the forefront of our national dialogue, we’re proud that flameless candles have utility beyond beautiful home décor. They stay bright when all else fails and have found a place alongside flashlights, first aid kits and bottled water for times in need. Thanks to the many New York customers who sent us notes of praise in Sandy’s aftermath. Happy to have brought people a little light during those dark days.

Emergency Preparedness Tip: Make sure you keep plenty of commonly sized batteries – AA, AAA, C, D – around the house at all times. Aside from powering battery operated candles, you never know when you might need them.

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